Columbia, S.C. – July 26, 2010 – Gov. Mark Sanford today joined company executives and economic development officials to celebrate the grand opening of Independent Pipe Products’ facility in Abbeville. The company has committed to investing $9 million and creating 25 new jobs.

“Independent Pipe Products’ decision to come to South Carolina is a compliment not only to our state’s pro-business environment but also to our workforce,” Gov. Sanford said. “The new investment and jobs the company brings represent a solid gain for Abbeville County, and I’d express sincere thanks to Ron Hopton-Jones and his team at Independent Pipe Products, Inc.

“I’d again say that IPP’s decision comes in the middle of what could well be a record-breaking year with regard to jobs and capital investment in South Carolina. In just the last several months we’ve made five 1,000-plus job announcements, and indeed going into this year we were already ranked first in job recruitment in the entire Southeast. Boeing’s decision to land in North Charleston last fall marked the largest economic development announcement in state history, and only last week the German-based company ZF announced plans to invest $350 million and create 900 new jobs in Laurens County. For these and other successes, I’d again thank Secretary Joe Taylor and his team at the Commerce Department.”

Headquartered in Dallas, Independent Pipe Products is a supplier of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes. The company has located its new facility in the former Performance Pipe building in Abbeville. The facility will produce HDPE pipes for municipal water service, mining, oil patch, landfill and industrial markets on the East Coast.